Astoreth does Ferelden Part 2: Ostagar
by Natmonkey
Summary: Follow Astoreth Amell as she traipses through Ferelden and shares her thoughts and wonders. In this instalment: Ostagar and the Korcari Wilds, where our heroine is constantly besieged by a dashing rogue.
1. Welcome to Ostagar

_Astoreth finally gets to go outside for the first time in her life. I now realize that the first part might have been interesting to all the Cullen lovers out there, but what if he actually isn't in the story? We shall see._

* * *

Hm, so this here is Ostagar. It's impressive, for a ruin. Must've looked grand indeed when it was still an actual building. It took weeks to travel from the tower to this place. I swear, I've done more walking in a few weeks than I've done in all my days at the Circle. My feet are blistered all the way up to my armpits. If only the Wardens still had their griffons. That way I would've gotten to ride a griffon, and I wouldn't have had to walk all this way. Bah humbug, I don't even want to be here. If it hadn't been for that fool Jowan, I wouldn't.

Shortly after my Harrowing he introduced me to the girl he was in love with, Lily. Very sweet and quite pretty, but of course they had a problem. As a Chantry sister, she wouldn't be allowed to have "relations" (quoting Jowan) with anyone. And when you are involved with someone, there's hardly anything else you want to do. On top of that, Jowan was to be made tranquil because he was supposedly a blood mage. So, they needed my help to destroy his phylactery and run away together. With me no longer being an apprentice, I would be able to get a rod of fire from the stockroom to burn through the locks on the door to where the phylacteries are kept. Naturally it wasn't as easy as we thought it would be.

In short, we got caught. And that was when the faeces hit the fan. As it turned out, the rumours had been true. My friend had been dabbling in blood magic and used his skills when we were caught. Our would-be captors got knocked to the floor by a ridiculous amount of blood, Lily didn't want anything to do with her lover anymore and he ran off. She surrendered herself to the Chantry; I don't know what happened to her. Hopefully they didn't hurt the poor girl too much, but I fear they sent her to a very unpleasant prison.

I myself would've been punished too if Duncan hadn't stepped in. He invoked the Right of Conscription and so the templars were forced to let me go. I didn't even know the Wardens could do such a thing, but there it is. I'm very grateful, of course; otherwise I might've been executed or made tranquil. Nevertheless, I don't really want to be here. I will never see Cullen again, probably. How could I return to the tower after what I did? Curse Jowan and his stupidity! Actually no, it was my own fault. Curse me and my bleeding heart! Because Lily and Jowan were in a situation similar to mine and Cullen's, I had to take pity and try to help that couple escape. I even yelled for Jowan to make a break for it when the templars were down.

And now I am to become a Grey Warden and help quell the Blight. I even met King Cailan, isn't that something? I would expect someone of his standing to be more arrogant, but he acted like a normal man, very informal even. And boy, is he good-looking. Seems to be very fond of Grey Wardens.

But despite the royal welcome, I still feel like a steaming pile of dung. I miss my beloved so. I didn't even get to say goodbye to him. How could I? Everyone would probably have found out and I don't want Cullen to get in any trouble. Eventually I did say goodbye to Daniela. We cried and clung to one another like children to their mother. She promised to tell Cullen what had happened and to give him Mister Muffin. I'm becoming a Warden; that's my cue to grow up and stop playing with children's toys. I figured my bear would make a nice keepsake though. As a memento, Danny gave me a little container of the cherry lip balm she makes herself. I've been using it ever since. My lips are kissable and soft, but unfortunately my darling isn't around to take advantage of that.

When Cullen was gone for a few days before my Harrowing, I missed him terribly. I never thought I could miss him worse, but I was wrong. It's like an iron fist has my heart in its grip, and with every breath I take, its grip tightens further. To make matters worse, I dream of him every night. I dream of the times we've spent together, I dream that he's with me. I really need some distraction. My body still has its needs, but I cannot fulfil them, because that would mean cheating on my beloved. I would rather die than do that. I've also not been able to touch myself since I left the tower. Duncan's always watching me, probably afraid I might escape. As soon as I have some time alone, I'm going to pleasure the living daylights out of myself.

Ah well, first things first. There are two other recruits for the Wardens I should talk to. The whole initiation ceremony is one big secret, it appears. Maybe they know more, although I doubt that. And I have to find another Grey Warden called Alistair. Probably some older gent, just like Duncan.


	2. The Hot Thief

_Let the naughtiness commence._

* * *

It took me some looking around, but I've already spoken with one of the other recruits. Ser Jory, some knight from Redcliffe. He is very proud of his wife and unborn child, and of his martial skills. Duncan recruited him after winning some… knightly competition or something in Highever. I must say this guy has the funniest ears I've ever seen. And if I thought my nose was big, well, his is enormous. But I shouldn't think such unkind thoughts. He seems like a very nice person.

And here we have the other recruit, I think. Tall, wiry frame, sharp features, short black hair, bow and quiver of arrows at his back. Not bad. He could use a shave, but I suppose this adds to his charm. Ha, ha, he's trying to seduce a female soldier, saying something about how life is fleeting, how her pretty face could become a darkspawn ornament and so on. Well, this man can come and fulfil my last wishes any day. The soldier lady is walking away. Sadly, she wasn't too impressed with him. Personally I wouldn't be either, but I wouldn't do him for his eloquence.

I won't physically sleep with anyone, but there is no harm in fantasizing, is there? So, this is how it would happen. First I would introduce myself of course, and then I'd politely ask him if he'd like to spend some quality time with me. Or I'd be really rude about it and just tell him to fulfil my needs, as it were. Seeing how it is my own little fantasy, he would jump at the offer. But where oh where would we get some privacy?

I know a place. That over there is the king's tent. I had a chat with the guard (nice man) and he told me His Majesty wasn't present. All that leaves is the guard himself. But that would easily be taken care of by sending one of the many elven messengers walking around this place to tell him the king needs him at the war council. And of course there would be no repercussions for the poor thing when they find out the message was fake.

You know, I am surprised by how elves are treated here. In the Circle, we are all equal, no matter our race. More or less. Of course there would be human mages who were disdainful of the elven ones. I just consider them racist asses. Their behaviour saddens me; I mean, elves are humanoids too. At any rate, I'd drag this handsome lad into the tent and... Yes, and then what? Let's first set the scene, shall we? There is thick, soft carpet on the floor, made of the best wool. The bed is large enough for three people, with silk sheets and big, fluffy pillows. In reality, the tent is too small to hold much more than a bedroll. But it's my imagination, so I can have it any way I want. At any rate, we only have a few minutes until the guard comes rushing back. I suppose I would like to see what my companion has in his pants.

So, I'd kneel before him and take out his equipment. Let's say it's a good size, something nice to close my lips around. Both the upper and lower kind, ha-ha. But first, I would lick the tip slowly, tease him a little. My hand would be around his member, rubbing it along its length. Then I'd open my mouth and begin sucking the tip, taking more and more of him into my mouth and caressing it with my tongue. Whew, I'm getting a bit hot thinking of this. Anyway, after a minute or so he would get so impatient and excited he'd just throw me onto the bed, flip me onto my stomach and hike up my robes before entering me quickly and without any ceremony. There isn't any time for that.

It's almost as if I can feel him in me, stretching me out, filling me. I must be blushing. My legs even press together of their own accord. Mmm, I can feel my button pulsating. And when he commences thrusting into me, ah, I can almost feel that wonderful sensation spreading all throughout my body. All the while he'll be whispering dirty phrases into my ear (he kind of strikes me as a person who does such things). I can't repeat exactly what he'd be saying; it would be highly inappropriate. He'll thrust into me harder, and faster, and harder until his member begins throbbing and he deposits his seed deep within me, groaning like a wild animal.

Maker's breath, why do I think of this? As if this is going to make me feel any better. Ah, Cullen. I wonder what he's doing right now. Would he be polishing his armour, eating dinner, thinking of me even, perhaps? I do hope he doesn't resent me for not saying goodbye. Surely he understands my reasons. I often look at the ring he gave me. It is such a beautiful little thing. It reminds me of the times we spent together, cuddling, making love... His hands all over my skin, his... Ahem.

Well, I could stand here all day thinking naughty thoughts, juices running down the insides of my thighs, but I have other things to do. I'd better introduce myself to my fellow recruit.


	3. The Handsome Warden

_You know what, just because I love you guys so much, I'm going to update two chapters in one day! And because I'm a bit bored. Thanks for the reviews so far! If you want to know the dog's take on the situation, try reading New Friends. It kind of overlaps with the third part of Astoreth's adventures, but surely you don't mind. _

* * *

Alright, two done, one to go. I've met ser Jory and the good-looking one was called Daveth. He did know a little more about the Joining: maybe we will go into the Korcari Wilds as part of our test. He heard that sneaking around camp at night; also told me he used to be a thief. Duncan recruited him after he'd stolen his purse in Denerim. The garrison caught him and were ready to string him up, but just like with me, Duncan invoked the Right of Conscription and saved him from that.

So all I have to do now is speak with the other Grey Warden and we'll be ready to go. I've looked around camp many times, but I still haven't found him. It has been a most fulfilling day though; the Kennel Master asked my help restraining a sick mabari so he could heal him. Poor dog became ill from ingesting too much darkspawn blood. The stuff is poisonous. Now all the man needs is a flower from the Wilds that might help him get better. Although mabari are big, tough and muscular, they are also cute in a way. And smart too; I can see it in their eyes.

And then there was a supposed deserter locked in a cage, who of course claimed to be innocent. Luckily he didn't ask me to bust him out; he just wanted some food and water. I sweet-talked his guard into giving me his own dinner. The prisoner was very grateful and gave me a key. The key is for a chest that belongs to the Circle. Yes, they are here too, but nobody I know personally. Anyway, when the Tranquil fellow that's guarding the chest has turned in for the night, I'll be free to raid its contents. I doubt the Tranquil would mind; at the worst, he would find it less than agreeable.

Alright, that's it, I'm going to ask the cute blond guy over here where I can find this Alistair character. Heh, he seems to be ruffling a mage's feathers. Seems to be an arrogant man; his feathers are probably very easy to ruffle. Maker, is he cute. The blond, not the mage. Of course he can't hold a candle to my Cullen, but still. Nice. It's like I've seen his face before somewhere though, but I don't know exactly where. Maybe he has some relatives in the Circle.

Ah, they seem to be done bickering and the mage is walking away. Good, at least now I can ask him something.

"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together." He sounds amused. Apparently he's talking to me.

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Look, I've been searching all over camp but I can't find this Grey Warden named Alistair, maybe you can help?" Wait a minute, I've spoken to everyone but this fellow. "Unless you're him." Wow, I hadn't expected him to be this young. And attractive.

"Did Duncan mention me? Nothing bad, I hope." He chuckles, a little uncomfortable for some reason. I take it as a warrior he doesn't see many women. At least he's not staring at my chest all the time, like Daveth did when I was speaking with him. It's odd when a man introduces himself to your breasts.

"Oh, I know who you are. You're Duncan's new recruit, from the Circle of Magi. I should've recognized you right away. I apologize." He smiles shyly.

"My name is Astoreth, pleased to meet you." Being raised properly, I bow. Maybe a bit too much, but it's better to be far too polite than to be a little rude.

"Uh, right. You don't have to be so formal." But he quickly bows for me too anyway. "You know, it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?" His voice sounds pensive. Hah, I like this guy already.

"You want more women in the Wardens, do you?" I giggle.

"Would that be so terrible? Not that I'm some drooling lecher or anything." He doesn't actually strike me as the lecherous kind. Not that I would mind very much if he were. I mean, he can look all he wants as long as he doesn't touch me. "Please stop looking at me like that," Alistair says in a little voice.

The expression on his face is priceless, all worried and adorable. I burst out laughing; I'm not laughing at him. I'm laughing _with _him.

"Oh, you're funny." I wipe the tears from my face.

"Thank you." He clears his throat. "As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining."

"Great. I look forward to travelling with you." And that's the truth. I like him; he seems nice. Not to mention pretty.

"You do? Huh. Anyhow, whenever you're ready let's head back to Duncan. I imagine he's eager to get things started."

Well, guess that settles it then. We're good to go for our Joining. Yay and stuff.


	4. Tender Loving Care

_Thanks to all who reviewed!Big sloppy smooch. _

* * *

Humph, isn't this just tons of fun? As part of our Joining, here we are in the Wilds, looking to fill three vials with darkspawn blood. And apparently there are some ancient Grey Warden treaties lying about somewhere that we have to locate as well. I swear, I've already seen my share of corpses and we just got here. The ground was littered with bloodied dead soldiers. One of them was still alive (barely) and staggered back to camp after Alistair put some bandages on him. I hope he didn't die on the way.

Ah well, at least I'm reasonably safe here with three men to guard me. This mustard-coloured atrocity that's supposed to pass for robes doesn't really offer all that much protection. And seeing how it clings to my curves, Daveth keeps on ogling me. I don't really mind; it's kind of a compliment, isn't it? Although he could stand to be more subtle about it.

"Oh hey, look here. A white flower with a red centre. I need to bring one of these back to camp." I pick the flower matching the description the Kennel Master gave me. I really want that poor mabari to get better.

"What for?" Daveth asks me curiously.

"The Kennel Master needs it to heal an injured mabari." I turn to our fearless leader. "Please Alistair, can we go back to help the dog?"

He shrugs. "Sure, why not." Not a very stern leader, is he?

"All this trouble for a dog." Our thief sighs and shakes his head. "I could use some tender loving care myself, you know."

"Uh, there, there?" I gently pat his head. Oh my, his hair feels soft. Reminds me of... I miss him so.

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of this." Suddenly I am in Daveth's arms, held tightly against his chest. What just happened? Ah, but he smells so very, very nice. My knees are going weak. His breath is warm against my neck, his hands resting dangerously low on my back. Maker's breath, my body has gone unloved for far too long. I'm just seconds away from assaulting him, despite the audience. I don't hear a peep out of the other two, by the way. Only shocked silence.

Thankfully my bold companion lets go of me soon, hands still on my waist. As he swallows I can see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Thank you," he whispers. His hazel eyes are so vivid, pretty colour too.

"I uhm, you're welcome, I suppose. Although such an invasion of personal space warrants a warning." But I have to admit, it felt nice. Too nice. I am _so_ wet right now.

"Yes Daveth, you should've asked her permission first," Alistair pipes up. Jory's just clearing his throat awkwardly, shuffling his feet. Well, at least our fearless leader's trying. Somewhat.

"I'm sorry," Daveth says with a smile. "I just needed a hug." In an unexpected act of tenderness, he briefly caresses my cheek. What the…?

"Let's just deliver this flower." I turn away and begin walking in the other direction.

All the way back to camp my mind wanders. What if he'd taken it further? What if those hands had gone lower, squeezed my behind, his lips kissing my neck, lighting a fire in my belly? If his nimble fingers had unhooked my robes, bared my skin, stroked my breasts and played with my nipples? What then if one of those hands crept down my stomach, slipped into my panties and began caressing my button until I'd quiver in his arms, my body convulsing with pleasure, moaning…

"Are you alright?" Daveth's looking at me again, but without the leering I've so gotten used to.

I snap out of my musings. "Huh? Sure, why do you ask?"

"Your face is red, and…" he puts his hand against my forehead, "hot. Are you feeling well?"

Apart from the fact that I feel incredibly horny? Yes. Well, to be perfectly honest, I often feel very nauseous when I awaken but that clears right up after I've had breakfast. I am physically homesick, isn't that something? Never thought I'd miss that cold, crammed tower, but I sure do now. You never know what you've got until it's gone. An overused old saying, but no less true.

"I'm just peachy. But I appreciate the concern." I smile at him. He is nice, if a bit obvious in what he wants from me. I wish I could give it to him, I really do, but I can't. Argh, when will I have some time to myself? An orgasm or two (or three, maybe four, no more than six really) should calm me down a little.

"Alright then, if you say so." After one last glance, he looks away.

There's the encampment. That was quick. Time flies when your mind is occupied with... other things.


	5. Betting the Boots

So, the Kennel Master was very pleased with the flower. I got to pet the dog one more time before we headed out again. He looked a little better than before, luckily. The flower is sure to cure the poor creature.

Here we are again, surrounded by lush plant life. I would be fascinated if my feet didn't hurt so badly. Hopefully we won't have to venture very far. I hear darkspawn can just *poof* pop up out of the ground like mushrooms. Interesting, right? I hope I'll get to see it.

Suddenly I'm sitting in the grass on my bum. I bumped into Alistair and fell. "Warden senses, tingling!" he says. Oh, that's right, Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" We recruits stare at our leader. He stares back at us, silent.

"Are there many?" I can see Alistair needs some help. He's probably not used to the whole leader thing.

"Afraid so. Too many for just the four of us. So, Daveth, Astoreth, why don't you two go lure some here for us?" He eyes us with a hopeful look. So much for fearless then.

"Are you mad? I'm defenceless! I need all three of you to keep me alive here." I know I sound like a whiny brat, but I value my life quite highly.

"Don't you worry little lady, I'll protect you." Daveth wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer. Again. I wish he'd stop doing that. It only serves to confuse my fragile little mind.

"See? You're safe as can be!" Alistair grins and puts his thumbs up. "But seriously, they can sense me too, and you aren't Wardens just yet. Both of you work well from a long range, and Jory doesn't. So please?" Ah, how could I resist such puppy eyes? Damn it, I'm so soft-hearted.

I sigh. "Fine. We'll just shoot them and come running back when they approach." We sneak into the direction our leader points to. It's a good thing I've had to creep about so often, you know, with Cullen. I'm sure my skills of quiet will serve me well in the time to come.

"Where are the buggers then? Maybe his Warden senses are having an off day." I haven't seen any darkspawn just yet. Aw, I was so looking forward to… Oh, there they are. Quite far away, but it's obvious they're not humans. Their movements are different and they make these grunting, animal-like noises.

"Before we start shooting anything, could I ask you something?" Daveth's hand is on my arm, his eyes fixed on my face.

"Do you really think this is a good time? Ask me anything you like when we're done here."

"They haven't found us just yet. Just, uhm…" Suddenly he seems uncomfortable. Oh boy, he sure picked the right moment to go asking awkward questions.

"Speak up man, I don't have all day." The sooner we lure and or kill some of these darkspawn, the better.

"Alright." He takes a deep breath. "Don't you like me, at all?"

"What?" I can only stare at him in astonishment. There are darkspawn some... What, thirty feet away?

"You mean, do I like you enough to sleep with you?" I might as well humour the silly sod.

His cheeks turn red. "I er... I wouldn't have put it quite that way, but that is what it comes down to."

I sigh. "Let me make something clear for you." Now I must take a deep breath. "I would've gladly jumped your bones the moment we met, but I cannot. I'm already taken." Please just leave me alone. Before I do something I regret.

"Oh, is that it?" He utters a sigh of relief and laughs. "Good. I thought I was beginning to lose my touch."

"Heh, you're not. Are we good now?" I'm glad he's not disappointed or anything.

"Yes, thanks." He bends down and plants a kiss on my cheek. Damn it, I miss being kissed by my darling. I miss his sweet scent, his arms around me, his warm body in my bed. It's not fair, you know; I only got to enjoy that wonderful bed for such a short time.

"Hello?" Daveth waves his hand before my face. "Are you still here?"

I shake my head. Now's not the time to think of these things. "Yes, yes." Great, now I feel sad again. Ah well, killing a few darkspawn should distract me well enough.

"Well then, are you ready for this?" I take my staff into my hand.

Daveth's already got his bow at the ready, arrow nocked and all. He grins. "You bet your boots I am."


	6. No More Tickling

"Wow, look at how ugly it is!" I pull a genlock's head up by the ears to show the others. The greenish skin, the sharp teeth, hideous features... Fascinating! Hurlocks are no oil paintings either.

"Yes, when I fought my first one, I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it was," Alistair says, cringing away from the darkspawn corpse. There are quite a few here, maybe twenty. We did well.

"Aw, don't be afraid... They can't hurt you anymore." I pat our fearless leader on the shoulder. He glares at me in return, a scowl on his face. It does his handsome features no good.

"All done!" Daveth proudly displays the three filled vials. All the blood that didn't get into them, seems to be on him.

"Wow, you are dirty." He looks worse than those dead soldiers we saw a while ago.

"I know," he responds in a smooth voice, wiggling his eyebrows. This reminds me of Daniela. I try to restrain myself but I can't. Before long I'm rolling on the ground, laughing like a maniac. It only gets worse when Daveth begins tickling me.

"Aargh! No, no! Stop!" I try to push him away, but he's so damned quick. Ah, the things those hands could do... Suddenly the tickling stops and I hear a sniffing sound.

"You smell like cherries. I like it." His face is really close to mine now. Fight the temptation, Astoreth, resist it.

"That's my lip balm." I take the container from my pocket. "You could use some yourself," I say, applying a thin layer to his lips. With chapped monstrosities like those, he might just lose his touch.

"Why thank you." He smacks his lips with a delighted expression on his face. "Ooh, and it tastes good too."

"Well, you two are certainly getting along well," Jory says dryly. He hasn't spoken in a while.

I prop myself up on my elbows and look over to him. "Are you alright? You're awfully quiet."

The knight sighs, looks a bit forlorn. "I am fine. I just miss my wife; she's heavy with child and... Then there's this ritual we know nothing of. Have you seen those soldiers? Almost an entire patrol of seasoned men, slaughtered by these... things." He kicks the dead hurlock at his feet and sighs again.

I feel sorry for him. It must be terrible leaving behind your pregnant beloved. He sure must be fond of his Helena, with the way he speaks of her. I get up to stand beside him.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" I show him a friendly smile. I can sympathize with how he feels; after all, I know what it's like to leave a loved one behind. Several loved ones, actually. One of them is even missing. I mean, Jowan could be eating cake in Orlais for all I know.

"No, but thank you. That is very kind of you." He smiles back at me, a little less forlorn. But only a little.

"It's getting dark," Alistair suddenly says. "And we still haven't found the treaties Duncan needed."

"So what? Do we return to Ostagar?" I don't really look forward to trekking there _again_.

"It's probably better to set up camp right here. I sense no darkspawn, we should be safe." Alistair looks at each of us in turn, gauging the reactions.

"I don't really see a problem with that. Do you two?" Please, please don't make me walk more. I'm glad there's a bedroll in my pack.

Daveth shrugs. "Fine with me."

Jory on the other hand, looks reluctant. "What if they ambush us, jump out of the ground?"

"Don't worry, I'll start screaming like a girl and wake all of you up." Alistair smirks. He's so funny.

"That's... reassuring. As the others all agree, I don't see how I could object." Jory begins unpacking with a sigh of resignation. We just follow his example, without the sighing.

* * *

_Their camping out in the Wilds is for sexiness purposes, of course. You understand, I'm sure. _


	7. Sharing Means Caring

_So I've given this a slight change; the original version was without the conversation with ser Jory. The poor man just deserves some more screen time, especially because most people just seem to think he's a useless twit. _

* * *

I've started a fire and the others insisted I cook. It must be because I'm not the proud owner of a penis like the other three; so much for emancipation. I've never prepared a meal before in my life, but it seems to be going well. It's lamb and pea stew. This should be interesting.

Behind me I hear someone softly clearing their throat. "Er, miss Amell?"

"Please, ser Jory, just call me Astoreth." I look up, still stirring the stew. "No need to be so formal."

The knight looks lost and nervous. "Then you might as well drop the ser. May I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course. Just a moment, let me taste this." Alistair said I should let it boil until everything goes grey, but I hope he's kidding. That sounds disgusting. Hmm, no. Just a little longer, and a bit more seasoning. Yes, much better. "Go ahead; what is it?"

"Are you also having doubts about this ritual we are to participate in?" Jory nervously fidgets about, his agitation clear as day. "Don't you fear what it might entail?"

I shrug. "I suppose I'm curious, but how bad could it be?" His sad demeanour causes me a pang of sympathy in the gut. "You just miss your family, don't you? And you'd like to be there for your wife when she gives birth, no?"

"You are right, of course," the man sighs. "My wife is heavy with child, so I was loathe to leave her behind. But... Ferelden needs my blade and I will not falter."

"So it does." I give the stew another stir. Almost done now, I think. "How did you and Helena meet?"

The knight smiles fondly. "I was in arl Eamon's retinue when he attended King Maric's funeral. It was in Highever that I met my Helena. I instantly fell in love with her beautiful eyes, and for years I found any excuse to return to Highever."

"Aww, how sweet." The adorably doting look on his face makes me feel a bit better; I'm not the only one away from their beloved. "You know, I wouldn't worry too much about the Joining. Just trust that everything will be fine, and you will soon be able to go see your wife, and your new child. What do you think it will be, a boy or a girl?"

"My mother used to say that when a woman who is with child has a round belly, she will give birth to a girl," Jory replies sagely. "If her belly has a more pointed shape to it, the child will be a boy. Personally, I don't believe in that silly superstition. And the sex is of no import; I will be happy as long as the baby is healthy."

Huh, I've never heard of such a belief. "So what shape does your wife's belly have?"

"Wonderfully round." The knight's cheeks and ears turn a slight red, his eyes glaze over. Methinks someone has a thing for full-bodied, pregnant women. Heh. I had no idea the big, tough soldier could be this utterly adorable.

Ah, the stew looks ready now, with the meat falling off the bone. And the peas are soft, so it's all done. You know, it doesn't even taste bad. Quite good, actually. If the whole Grey Warden thing doesn't work out, I could find a job in a kitchen somewhere. "I think it's ready. Will you tell the others that dinner is served?"

"I will. Thank you." The other recruit nods amiably. "I feel slightly better."

I show the man a nice smile. "Glad I am to hear it."

Jory hasn't even been gone for three seconds before he returns with the others. They flock around me with their bowls like a swarm of bees. "Jish ish goof!" Alistair says with his mouth full. I take it that means "this is good"? Wow, he must really like it, the way he's stuffing his face.

"I agree. Very tasty." Daveth winks at me. At least he had the courtesy to empty his mouth before speaking.

"Uhm, yes." Jory sounds sad again. "You've outdone yourself." So far he's only taken a few little bites.

"Are you sure you're all right?" I was so hungry I'm already down to my second helping. Even burned the roof of my mouth, imagine how eager I was to get something in my belly. That pales in comparison to how eagerly I want something a little lower. Ah, when the others are asleep.

"Yes. I'm just not very hungry. But it tastes good." Jory idly stirs his stew with his spoon.

"Are you going to finish that?" Alistair eyes his stirring motions hungrily.

"No, help yourself." Jory hands him his bowl. "I will turn in. Goodnight, everyone." We all wish him the same. Poor thing. His shoulders are sagging. I hope he'll be able to return to his family soon. My talking to him really hasn't done much, has it?

After a whopping five bowls, Daveth rubs his stomach and burps. "Pardon me. Well, goodnight." I watch him as he walks away. He has a nice-looking behind, rawr.

Maker's breath, Alistair's stomach must be like a bottomless pit. I lost count after I watched him shovel down his eighth helping. "I think I'm going to sleep as well. Will you be all right here?" I must sound amused. I am. I've never seen anyone eat this much.

"Yes. I'm just going to finish this. Thanks for dinner." He flashes me a quick smile before he digs in again. There are green bits stuck in his teeth.

"You must get a lot of exercise. Goodnight, chief." I yawn. This has been a very exciting day.

"Goodnight." He looks up from his food. "And don't call me chief!"

Our bedrolls are all a few yards apart. I'm safely surrounded by Alistair and (yes, not the smartest choice) Daveth. Alistair was the first to lay down his bedding and I wanted to be the first to awaken to his girlish screaming should darkspawn appear, so I set up next to him. Daveth set up next to me, because he apparently still wants to bed me, against his better judgement. That or the other two have annoying sleeping habits I'm not yet aware of.

Ah, my bedroll looks so inviting. I'm really tired. And still very horny. But first I should get out my sleeping gear. Here is my prize: Cullen's torn shirt. His scent is nearly gone from the fabric. Maybe I should be sleeping in my robes, but then they'd get all stinky. And I am a lady; ladies don't reek. The others seem to be asleep already. At least, for as far as I can tell from their deep, regular breathing. Daveth could be watching my every move for all I know. But never mind that, I'm too tired to get all paranoid.

I uncoil my good old bun and quickly braid my hair. Then I throw my robes onto the ground in a sloppy pile. My bodice and stockings soon follow suit. Maker, how cold it is. I begin shivering like a leaf. Cullen's shirt doesn't help me much either. I wish he were here; I'm sure he'd keep me warm. Would he be in bed now too? I never got to see where he sleeps. As I get into my bedroll, I notice it's too thin. This way I will surely fail to fall asleep.

"Isn't it cold?" Daveth suddenly whispers next to me. I nearly jump up. That sure was sudden. What's he still doing awake? Probably the cold. Jory seems to be doing fine somehow. I am jealous.

"It certainly is. Having trouble sleeping?" The light from the fire a distance away faintly illuminates this area, so I can at least see something. Hazel eyes are glowing in the half-dark.

"Yes. The cold keeps me awake. You know," his voice suddenly has a mischievous tone to it, "I hear that two people can keep one another warm by keeping close, sharing a bedroll. Just thought I'd put it out there."

"Are you suggesting we should do this?" You know, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. Provided he can keep his hands to himself. "Move over." I quickly crawl out of my sleeping place and into his. It's a little warmer in here, but not by much. Oh my, he doesn't seem to be wearing a lot of clothing.

"That is so much better." There is relief in my companion's voice. I must admit I like it better than shivering all by myself. Now I have company, and we're beginning to warm up even.

"Yes, but please try to keep your hands off me, or I'll..." Or what, girl? As if I could do anything to truly hurt him.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll be good," Daveth says, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Don't want you to light me on fire, or anything."

"If you behave, I won't." I turn my back to him and close my eyes. "Goodnight."

He drapes his arm across my waist. "Goodnight." His lips are so close to my ear they brush me. It sends a pleasant tingle down my spine. And the lip balm worked well for him.

Wait, wait, what's he doing now? His hand is on my stomach, going lower and lower. I don't really want this to happen, but... I kind of like it. If his hand would happen to end up between my legs, well, I would probably not even try to set him on fire, not even a little. When his hand stops just a few inches above my panties, I almost feel disappointed. No, not almost. I feel very disappointed. Well, at least I can trust him. His body is warm against my back and I don't feel cold anymore either. I have to admit, this idea of his was pure gold.

Soon his breathing becomes slow and steady. I'm quite sure he's asleep now. Good, finally I can play with myself. I slip my hand into my panties, careful not to wake my personal heater. It really arouses me, touching myself with others so close and unsuspecting. My button pulsates when I touch it; it only needs a few strokes before pleasure erupts in my stomach and travels through my entire body. I've been waiting for this for weeks! No orgasm I've ever had before was this intense; it's as if every fibre in my body is on fire. I try hard to keep lying motionless, but my body still convulses slightly. Behind me Daveth stirs, mumbling something intelligible. His grip on me tightens, but then he lies still once more. Whew, I'm still safe.

Heh, now I'm all lightheaded. And unbelievably wet. I coat my index and middle finger in the moisture and slowly enter. My flesh clings tightly to my fingers. Oh Cullen, I'd give anything to have you here with me, to have you in me. I miss you so. My fingers slide in and out of me of their own accord. Blast, I forgot to bring my candle; it's still in the tower. Still, nothing could ever replace the wonderful feeling of my beloved's hard member deep within me. Thrusting into me, making my body unbearably hot, sending shivers of pleasure through me. I begin circling my button with my thumb; in mere moments I come again. A soft moan escapes my lips, no matter how hard I try to keep quiet.

Ah, so what if they heard me? I'm sure only my bed buddy would make lewd comments about it and I've gotten quite used to him by now. My free hand closes around my breast, tweaking my hard nipple, squeezing it just a little, making my climax feel just a little better. My mind feels a bit hazy. Good. The tension is gone, as if by magic. Well, orgasms are quite magical. I withdraw my slick fingers and lick them clean. There, it's like I haven't laid a hand on myself.

Something hard is poking into my bum. Oh, I know what _that_ is. I wish I had one of those for private use. I wonder how big it is... You know, I only have to reach back and take it out. But no, I shouldn't. Could this mean he's been awake this whole time, watching me? I wiggle my behind against his hard-on. Hardly any response, just a sleepy grumble. Thank the Maker, it's only an involuntary response.

I sigh contently. I feel good now. Nice and warm too. Mmm.


	8. Oh Hay Cullen

I bolt upright to find myself in my lovely bed at the tower. Ah, I knew all that crap about Jowan being a blood mage and going to the Korcari Wilds to become a Grey Warden was a dream. How could anyone want _me_ as a Warden?

How sweet. Cullen is lying next to me, sleeping peacefully. His eyes flutter open and he smiles at me.

"Hey darling, you know, I just had the strangest dream," I whisper to him. "I dreamed I helped Jowan escape from here, who turned out to be a blood mage and I got recruited into the Grey Wardens to avoid my punishment. Isn't that something?"

The smile on my beloved's face saddens. "That was not a dream. This is." My blood seems to freeze in my veins.

"Please tell me you're kidding," I beg. He shakes his head.

"Right now, you're sharing a bedroll with another man to keep warm. You are dreaming of me because you miss me." He caresses my face with his calloused hand. It feels so real.

"Is that really you, Cullen?" I'm very close to tears. I really thought all that nonsense was just a dream.

Again he shakes his head. "I am, in fact, a figment of your imagination, or more like the fulfilment of a wish, if you will. But I seem real enough, don't I?" His arms close around my waist and pull me closer. The warmth of his body, the softness of his lips pressed to mine, his intoxicating scent, they all seem so genuine.

"Just make the best of it, love," he whispers into my ear. He's right. This may not be real, but I might as well enjoy it while I can. So I run my fingers through his hair, caress every bit of bare skin I can find and kiss him as if I'm trying to devour him. This figment of my imagination reacts just like my Cullen would, softly moaning deep in his throat and gently running his hands all over my body.

I push him onto his back and straddle his hips. His hardness pulsates against me. "I miss you."

"I know." He smiles and pulls me down for a long, tender kiss. "You'll just have to make do until we can meet again."

"Do you think we will meet again?" I stare hopefully into his warm chestnut eyes.

He laughs, that beautiful sound I've rarely heard but treasure just because it is so rare. "How should I know? Let's hope so."

The time for talking is over. I slowly lower myself onto him, revelling in the feeling of his hard member stretching me, filling me, making me shiver with delight. I throw back my head and moan. No need to keep quiet; this is my dream, after all.

Under me Cullen is making the same sounds, his moaning loud and unrestrained as I move up and down his shaft. His hands grab a firm hold of my breasts and squeeze them, rolling my nipples between his fingers. I don't think he's ever been this rough with them before, but holy Maker, does it feel good.

It seems to take a very, very long time before he begins throbbing. Groaning loudly he comes inside me, his grip on my breasts tightening painfully. I let myself fall onto him, covering his handsome face with kisses. When he's shrunken so far he slips out all on his own, I lie down next to him and he takes me in his strong arms.

"I hope we can meet again." Lazily I rake my fingers through the hair on his chest.

"So do I. Now sleep, you'll feel much better in the morning." He plants a kiss on the top of my head and begins stroking my hair. It's such a soothing feeling. I close my eyes.

* * *

_I was reading Freud when I wrote this, so blame him for the idea that dreams are the fulfilment of wishes. Okay, well, just a little titbit that seemed interesting to note. _


	9. That Is What You Get

"Aw, would you look at that?" I vaguely hear a man's voice say somewhere above me. The voice is filled with endearment, almost gushing.

"Very inappropriate, if you ask me. They've only just met." A different man's voice, with a slightly miffed tone to it.

Ugh, what's going on? And whose body am I tangled around? I also feel someone's erection against my stomach. My mind is pretty useless when I've just woken up. My wonderful dream is still fresh in my mind. But let's see... Right. I'm in the cold, cold Korcari Wilds, doing something to become a Grey Warden. Yes, darkspawn blood, check. Treaties, we needed treaties. Haven't found them yet. There were three others with me, three men. Two of them good-looking, one not so much. One of them kept making passes at me and I've spent the night in a bedroll with him. Yes Astoreth, that is such a smart thing of you to do, you dummy.

I crack my eyes open. "Don't judge me; we were just trying to keep warm." Alistair's smiling brightly at me, Jory looks plain grumpy. "Really. We've not been doing anything inappropriate." Well, _we_ haven't. I pat Daveth firmly on the cheek. He looks kind of cute in his sleep, his head resting on my chest.

"Daveth, wake up. We have to go." Heavy sleeper. He doesn't respond at all.

"Rise and shine!" Alistair bellows. My bed buddy startles awake. He slides back a bit, in an effort to hide his uhm, morning condition. "I didn't do anything, don't set me on fire!"

"Relax, would you?" I yawn. Wow, he looks scared. "I know how it goes, when you wake up, you get so hard it's difficult to aim when you pee." Cullen once told me that. I'm glad I have no such problems, although monthly flows are no picnic either.

"Oh, so you're not going to kill me?" He eyes me with a hopeful grin.

"No, don't be silly, I..." Maker, am I suddenly nauseous. Worse even, I can feel I'm about to lose my dinner. I scramble out of the bedroll and make a break for the nearest bush. I hope the plants don't mind getting fertilized with half-digested lamb and pea stew. Ugh, I hate throwing up; that disgusting sour taste, yuck. Now my throat is sore too. Must've been something wrong with the food yesterday. The others probably have far stronger stomachs.

"Are you alright? You went a little green in the face there." Daveth pats me on the back and hands me a cup of water. I drain it in one big gulp.

"Yes, I'm better now. Thank you." Why is he looking at me like that, with a big stupid grin plastered to his face? Oops, it would seem my chest is uncovered. I forgot I was only wearing an open shirt.

"Nice," he mutters. Well, look who's talking. I'm glad he's still shirtless; now I have something to feast my eyes on while he does the same, apparently. I can't help but compare him to Cullen, but no man could ever compare to him. Still, in his own right, Daveth looks quite attractive, with his sinewy build, broad chest and well-developed arms. And that thin line of hair below his navel, leading ever lower looks so… tempting. I shake my head. No naughty thoughts about men who are readily available for you.

"Are you quite done?" I close my shirt and cross my arms before my chest. I can't even be mad at him; that silly expression on his face is just priceless.

"Aw, I suppose so." His eyes move lower. "Then again, I could always look at your legs."

"Very cute. I'm going to get dressed." Making sure to keep my shirt closed, I get back to where I dropped my robes and underwear. At least now it's warmer than it was last night. It's not exactly tropical, but it's bearable.

Alistair and Jory have already packed their gear and are waiting for us a distance away. I can tell all the way from here that our knight is still grumpy. Maybe he's not a morning person, or he's convinced more than sleeping went on in Daveth's bedroll last night. Even if it were so, it's not his damned business, now is it?

I first pull my stockings on over my legs. That feels much better, but if I get the chance, I should buy thicker ones. You'll never know when you might be trudging through snow, or hail, or whatever. Cullen's shirt always goes into my pack neatly folded. I cradle it to my face and inhale. His scent is faint, but it's still there. It always reminds me of the very first time we made love, when his scent was all around me. Maybe I will get to see him again, someday. I certainly hope so.

As I'm buttoning up my bodice, I hear a whistle of approval behind me. Daveth, again. I turn around.

"Would you just knock it off?" I nearly crash into him. He was closer than I thought.

"I can't help it." He lays a hand on the small of my back, gazes into my eyes. "You're just so..." His lips are moving closer to mine too. This is bad. Fight the temptation, girl! Think of Cullen!

That does it. I can hardly trust myself. Quickly I conjure the words to a paralysation spell.

"Why can't I move?" he says slowly, his voice alarmed. I twist out of his grasp.

"I paralysed you. I meant it when I said I was taken. Also, do you really want to swap saliva with someone who was vomiting in the bushes only moments ago? Now stop harassing me." Before long my bodice is closed and my robes are too. I quickly roll up my bedroll and stuff it into my pack.

"You made your point. I'm sorry!" Poor thing sounds like he's frightened out of his wits. "Now please undo it!"

"Don't worry, it will only take a few minutes." I pat his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this. I wasn't thinking."

His frightened eyes are moving around erratically. I feel guilty. Sadly, I've never been known for thinking things through before taking action.

"I'm sorry. Any moment now, so don't be afraid." I get closer and hug him, trying to soothe him. After a few minutes he's wrapped his arms around my waist, free to move again.

"I promise I'll behave from now on. Really." His voice is regretful and slightly trembles with fear.

"Good. You know, you're far too attractive for your own good. And mine." Argh, why did I say that? Now he's going to get ideas.

"Oh?" At least it did work to cheer him up a little. "Ah well, I'll try hitting on that pretty soldier girl again when we get back."

"That's the spirit." I let go of him. "Now put your leathers back on, we need to get going."

While Daveth is busy getting dressed, I pack up the remainder of his gear for him. It's the least I could do for keeping me warm and scaring him so. I hand him his pack.

"Thank you," he says meekly.

"You're welcome." Well, treaties, here we come!


	10. The Effect of Revealing Robes

_**Finally** something happens! Or does it? _

* * *

"What's _that_?" Alistair responds to Daveth pulling a wrapped bundle out of a hollow tree stump. The latter shrugs and begins opening it. Out come all manners of weapons, among which a two-handed sword that's swiftly claimed by ser Jory. He happily swings it around, nearly slicing a bit off Alistair's ear. Our leader is blissfully unaware something unpleasant could've happened to him.

Daveth walks up to me with sparkling eyes. "You might want this," he says, handing me some article of clothing. I can see why he looks so pleased with himself: it's an enchanted robe, very low cut in the front and very short too. The colour is lovely; a pale green.

"You mean you might want to see me in it?" I stick out my tongue. Truly, he can't help himself apparently. Still with the comments, but at least he's stopped laying his hands on me.

"That too, but you don't seem very happy with your robes." He looks at me pleadingly. But he's right though, I really don't like yellow. And with all the darkspawn blood on it, well, I suppose I should throw it away. Or sell it, depending on how picky the quartermaster at Ostagar is.

"I'll be right back." I move behind a tree from where I can observe my companions. Alistair and Jory are acting like they've won the lottery, touching every item and ooh-ing and ah-ing. Daveth just seems to be eager to see me return. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

I strip out of my old robes and get into the new ones. They fit perfectly. I especially like the high collar with furry skin (bear, I think) attached to it that I'm supposed to wear draped across my shoulders. Well, I've never dressed this revealingly before. I mean, my breasts are largely exposed and my stockings are showing. Somehow, I'm not cold. No, far from it, I'm very hot. Now that I'm alone...

I lean my back against the tree and slide my panties down, until they are bunched around my ankles. My right hand slips down my stomach, rubbing between my wet lips, stroking my button. Ah, I just love the outdoors! I close my eyes, feeling the heat increase in my body, feeling it turn into an inferno when my climax approaches me with great strides. I bite back a moan as that tidal wave of pleasure washes over me. Somewhere near me I hear a soft gasp. Oh no, he didn't...

Yes, it's as I suspected. Daveth is standing close to me, blushing fiercely and apparently rooted to the spot. As soon as he notices my eyes are open, he raises his hands and begins babbling.

"I wasn't spying I swear! You, you just took so long I thought you might need help lacing something up, and..." The fear is back in his eyes. Aw, to the Fade with this, I don't want him to be afraid of me.

"Don't worry." My voice is slow and lazy, just like my mind is after an orgasm. I remove my hand from between my legs and inspect it. My fingers are wet and glistening. If he wants to play games with me, I can play along. Instead of sticking my fingers into my mouth to clean them like I usually do, I open my mouth and slowly lap up the wetness with my tongue.

His hazel eyes are fixed to my motions and the fear in them slowly dissipates. If I weren't already taken, I'd slam this handsome fellow to the ground and ride him like a pony. To be filled with something large, hard and throbbing would be so good right now.

"So," I twirl around, "you like?"

He nods and swallows. "You look stunning." His voice is hoarse, and thick with lust. Damn it. In the tower I was pining for months to find a man to sleep with, and this one practically keeps throwing himself at me. Ah well, if my fellow mages were male harlots like Daveth seems to be, I would probably never have fallen in love with Cullen.

Suddenly I'm pinned between the tree and Daveth's body. His lips are on my neck, covering my skin with hungry kisses. I should've known better than to taunt him. But damned if it doesn't feel good. I should push him away, but I can't. Strong will? Gone. Flown out the window.

"Please, don't." I wanted to sound pleading but it comes out like a lustful moan. Yes, that's really going to help.

"Don't play games with me if you're not prepared to follow through." His lips trail lower, planting a kiss between my breasts. His stubble pricks into my skin. One of his hands is one my thigh, petting me through the fabric of my stocking, the other baring my breast. I can't help but utter a long-drawn cry as his tongue curls around my nipple.

"Hush, girl." His hand moves closer to the inside of my thigh, his fingers grazing my swollen lips. This is so going the wrong way; I can't even struggle anymore. How did that spell go again? Maker's breath, I've forgotten. Let's hope this is temporary.

"Look, it may not sound so, but I beg you..." I wanted to say to stop, but oh my, the things he does with his tongue drive me nearly insane. Suddenly I hear hurried footsteps approaching. Here comes the cavalry.

"What are you... Oh no." Alistair sounds shocked. I can only imagine; quite a sight we must be. Daveth is abruptly torn away from me. I sigh in relief between the panting. Jory's glaring at me again.

"I know this looks bad." Ugh, how did I get into this mess? I want Cullen, now. Without him I'm just... lost. My vision goes blurry and my lower lip begins trembling. No, don't cry in front of them. Ah, too late. "I'm sorry! I left my love in the tower and I've been so alone but he keeps making passes at me and I can hardly resist... and... and..." I'm blubbering. Terrible.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I hear Jory say with pity in his voice. He awkwardly pats my shoulder.

"Now look what you've done!" Alistair says angrily. I hear a loud slapping noise and an "Ow!" from Daveth. I hope he got slapped on the back of the head really, really hard.

"I didn't know that! I just thought she was playing hard to get!" our thief whines.

"I wasn't!" I sniffle. "I miss him so." Huh, I feel better. You know I just realized I haven't cried since... Since that first time with Cullen. And that wasn't even from grief. I guess all I needed was a good, loud crying session.

"Feeling a little better now?" Jory looks at me with concern in his eyes and gives my shoulder a squeeze.

I wipe the tears from my face and manage to smile. "Yes, thank you."

"Now you, apologize to her. And leave her alone from now on or I will seriously hurt you. Understood?" Alistair pushes Daveth towards me. He actually is a good leader after all.

Daveth walks up to me, dragging his feet. "I'm sorry. I really had no idea." He opens his arms for a hug. Aw, why not? I let him fold me into an embrace. His hand strokes my back, staying neatly on my shoulder blades. I sense no ulterior motives this time. After a few moments he lets go of me and extends his hand. "Let's just be friends, alright?"

I cock my head to the side and stare at his face. He seems honest, so I take his hand and shake it. "Okay, fine. Friends." I feel... relieved. I can't believe it took me breaking down and crying before he would leave me alone.

His face breaks into a smile. "Oh, and by the way," he bends down, "your panties are still around your ankles," he whispers.

"Thanks for the heads up." My face feels warm. How could I forget that? Stupid, stupid. I'm lucky the grass is tall. "Why don't you three leave me alone for a few moments, so I can... think."

Alistair and Jory shoot me a pitiful look and trudge away; Daveth winks and follows them. I bend down and put my panties back on. What am I going to do without Cullen? Bah, if I lose control whenever some attractive guy is around, I'm going to be in trouble. And this robe doesn't help. Well, I shouldn't keep them waiting for too long.


	11. Perky Breasts

Alright, so this is the spot where the treaties should be. And this is the box that should contain them. But lo and behold, it is broken and empty. Of course stuff like this is never easy. Suddenly I hear three simultaneous gasps of surprise. What? What's going on?

I turn to see possibly the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She's thin (her arms are like sticks), but her breasts, wow, they are _perky_. Beautiful face with full crimson lips and her eyes... They seem to be yellow. How odd. Interesting outfit too, with the feathers and the leather, all those necklaces adorning her chest.

"Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones have been long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of... easy prey?" she says in a lovely deep voice. I can only stare. Just, wow.

"What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?" She looks straight at me.

"Eep, a Witch of the Wilds! She'll turn us into toads!" Daveth squeaks. I roll my eyes. The other two keep quiet.

"You there. Women do not frighten like little boys," the strange woman addresses me. "Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

I take a little bow. "My name is Astoreth. A pleasure to meet you."

"Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds," she chuckles. "You may call me Morrigan." Morrigan. Such a beautiful name for such a beautiful creature.

"Alright Morrigan. We are here to find ancient Grey Warden treaties. Have you seen them?" I could act all scared like the others, but that won't get us anywhere. I am not scared of this woman anyway.

"You stole them, didn't you?" Alistair suddenly pipes up. "You're… some kind of… sneaky… witch-thief!" I snicker at that last remark. I'm sure it was supposed to sound serious, but our leader isn't exactly a paragon of eloquence.

"Those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them!" he demands.

Morrigan folds her arms and glares at him. "I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them…" She opens her mouth to say more, but I'm quite sure it will take hours if I just let them bicker. This must be dislike at first sight.

"Then could you tell us who did remove them?" I smile at her, and the angry look in her eyes softens.

"'Twas my mother, in fact." Her diction is strange, so old-fashioned. I cannot believe people choose to live in these cold, damp surroundings.

"Will you take us to her?" I swear it's like I'm the voice of reason here. Which means we're doomed.

Morrigan is guiding the four of us deep into the Wilds. So far I've tripped over six (6) protruding tree roots, been smacked in the face with eight (8) branches and stubbed my toe three (3) times on a rock. Needless to say, I'm in considerable pain.

"She'll put us all in the pot, she will. Just you watch," Daveth frets, running his hands through his hair in worry. What is all this fuss about?

"If the pot's warmer than this forest, it'd be a nice change," Jory dryly retorts. He's right too; it's cooled down considerably in the past few hours.

"You know, it surprises me you're not ogling her like you've done me all this time." I point to the witch walking a few yards ahead of us. "Have you no eyes? Look at her! She's _gorgeous_!"

Daveth stops pawing himself and eyes me with interest. "I didn't know you went both ways."

"Both ways? Oh, _those_ ways. Well, I kissed my best friend and I liked it, but that's all I've done with another girl." Daniela. I miss her too. How would she be doing? Would she be up for her Harrowing yet?

"What did she look like?" Now he's looking at me with even more interest. Heh, men.

"A little taller than me, slim, pretty, short blonde hair and blue eyes." I miss seeing the sparkle in those eyes whenever we were talking about shoes and pretty clothes and boys.

His voice sounds dreamy. "Heh, I can just imagine you two passionately kissing, robes falling to the floor, breasts being…"

I punch his shoulder. "I said we just kissed, you fool. She wanted to teach me how."

"Hey, can't a man fantasize?" He rubs his shoulder with a feigned expression of pain. "You know, I bet I could teach you even better."

"That's quite alright, thank you. I've had plenty of practice since." I remember the first time Cullen took me in his arms and kissed me, how butterflies fluttered rampantly in my stomach, how my skin was on fire. His lips were so soft, his tongue so gentle. Ah.

Daveth gasps. "Watch out for that…"

I crash painfully into something big and rough, falling onto the ground. All the air is knocked out of my lungs. Ow! Note to self: no daydreaming while walking in a forest, lest you slam into a…

"Tree," he finishes his sentence. He kneels next to me. "Are you alright?"

"Ooh, pretty stars." My vision is filled with bright white spots. It's quite nice really, apart from the fact that my head now hurts too. I officially no longer love the outdoors.

The stars clear out of my vision, revealing a handsome face hovering over me. I lay a hand on his cheek. "Your eyes are so pretty!"

"You hit your head really hard, didn't you?" His voice sounds both amused and worried at the same time. I suppose I did hit my head hard. Thinking hurts a little. Ah, but I know a bit of healing magic. There, that should do it. Why am I touching Daveth again? See, I must've damaged my brain.

Ever the gentleman, he helps me back up. Now, if we assess the results, you shall see that so far I've tripped over six (6) protruding tree roots, been smacked in the face with eight (8) branches, stubbed my toe three (3) times on a rock and crashed into one (1) tree. Let's not add to this, Astoreth.

"Thank you." I'm still a little off-balance from my run-in with the tree. "Mind if I lean on you?" I don't want to risk falling every few steps. This is taking long enough as it is.

"I'll raise you one better." He turns his back to me and bends his knees. "Hop on."

I stare at him in disbelief. "You want to carry me?" Well, not that I would mind not walking.

"Yes. Hurry, before we lose the others." He impatiently looks back at me. I shrug and climb onto his back, closing my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He hooks his elbows under my knees to keep me in place. I like it up here. My feet feel better just not touching the ground.

"Alright, off we go." He takes on a jogging pace to keep up with the others. Such ease, as if I don't weigh very much. He must be strong.

I rest my head against the crook of his neck. His scent is nice; I cannot describe it as anything other than 'masculine' I guess. "Thank you, for carrying me." In a reflex I kiss him below the ear. What, are you stupid?

He tenses ever so briefly. "My pleasure." His voice is barely audible. I should stop tempting him. Bad, bad girl! Oh, I'm a bit sleepy. It won't hurt if I close my eyes for a moment.

"Are you her manservant now?" I vaguely hear Alistair say.

"Look at her. Can you blame me?" The reply comes from very nearby. I'm just going to take a little nap until we get to Morrigan's mother.


	12. Clumsy Idiot

_Thanks for the reviews! The end is near. Very near. _

* * *

"Hey, wake up." I don't want to wake up. "Come on doll, open your eyes. We're here."

Here? Here where? I open my eyes and raise my arms to stretch my stiff upper body. Bad idea. I tumble backwards and my head hits the ground.

I groan. "I'm such an idiot!" No falling asleep when you're hitching a ride on someone's back. You'll forget where you are. Daveth lets go of my legs.

"Not an idiot, just really clumsy." Yet again he kneels down next to me and brushes some stray hairs from my face. He sighs and shakes his head, a smile on his lips. I'm just glad I didn't land on a rock.

"Wow, you're worse than I am," Alistair says from somewhere above me. "How many times have you fallen over today, exactly?"

"I think… eight times, give or take." I sit up. "Give me a break; I'm not the outdoorsy type."

"'Tis obvious you are not," Morrigan says with a barely contained giggle in her voice. She must think me very silly. I am, so what? She motions us to follow her and I get onto my feet. There's a little hut here, in the middle of the Wilds. Her mother must be insane to want to live here. That old woman in the tattered dress with the wild-looking grey hair must be her.

Morrigan greets her. "Greetings, Mother. I bring before you four Grey Wardens, who…"

"I see them, girl," the crone cuts her off.

"She's a witch I tell you!" Daveth is back to his old fidgeting. "We shouldn't be talking to her!" I grab a hold of his hand in an attempt to calm him down. His brow furrows in confusion, then he threads his fingers through mine. This feels… familiar. Cullen would sometimes hold my hand in such a manner.

"Quiet, Daveth!" Jory barks. "If she's really a witch, do you want to make her mad?"

The old woman scoffs. "Believe what you will." She turns her gaze to me. Unlike her daughter's, her eyes have a regular colour, a warm brown. "And what of you? Does your woman's mind give you a different viewpoint? Or do you believe as these boys do?" Her voice is quite pleasant.

I quietly mull that over. "I'm not really sure what to believe," I reply in all honesty.

"A statement that possesses more wisdom than it implies. Be always aware… or is it oblivious? I can never remember," she says cryptically. That sounded a bit crazy; I don't think Daveth could make her any madder than she already is.

"So this is a dreaded Witch of the Wilds?" Alistair says in disbelief. It would appear only he and I aren't afraid of these two women.

"Witch of the Wilds, eh? Morrigan must have told you that." With laughter in her voice, she continues: "She fancies such tales, though she would never admit it! Oh, how she dances under the moon!" The laughter's now turned into a cackle. Creepy.

Morrigan has an exasperated look on her face. She must be used to this kind of behaviour. "They did not come to listen to your wild tales, Mother."

"True, they came for their treaties, yes?" A few rolled up documents appear in her withered hand. Where did she conjure them from? "And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these."

"You!" Alistair begins in an angry voice. "Oh, you protected them?" He sounds surprised.

"And why not?" Morrigan's mother responds. "Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight's threat is greater than they realize!" Ooh, ominous.

"Thank you for returning the treaties," I say. If she's been protecting them for a long time, she deserves our thanks.

"Such manners! Always in the last place you look. Like stockings!" Another cryptic statement. We all must look rather puzzled because the old woman giggles and adds: "Oh, don't mind me. You have what you came for!" With that, she opens the door to her hut and goes inside. This is has been a strange encounter on so many levels.

"Very well, I will show you out of the woods," Morrigan says reluctantly. "Follow me."

I hang my head. More walking. Nooooooooooo…!


	13. A Cup of Blood

Argh, my feet are worn down to little stumps. Well, not really, but it sure feels that way. I went to see the mabari again; he was sleeping. Such an adorable creature. I can't wait to see him out and about again.

The chest I have a key for was unguarded, so I removed all of its contents. I got a new staff and an enchanted cowl that I won't wear because my vanity forbids it, some money and a few lyrium potions. I try to avoid taking lyrium, but sometimes you just run out of mana and have no choice.

We made a killing selling most of the stuff we found in the Wilds. The quartermaster was even kind enough to give me a few silvers for my old hideous, stiff-with-blood robes. And he kept staring at my chest, as most of the soldiers we passed by. So sad these men don't get to see many women. Each camp should have a brothel, or something. Maybe Daveth would leave me alone then. Even now he's still ogling me from time to time. Well, it's not like I don't look at him. He's a handsome lad, I can't deny it.

Right now we're waiting until Duncan's done preparing for the Joining ritual. I'm curious to see what it entails, but I think it involves the darkspawn blood. Maybe we're supposed to drink it, or draw pictures with it, or rub it on each other. I would rather like that last one, ha-ha.

Jory's having doubts again and Daveth's trying to calm him, but I can see that it doesn't work. Sometimes I wonder why he is here, why he didn't just stay home with his family. I know I would've, had I had a choice. To think I could be in bed with Cullen right now, instead of out here.

"At last we come to the Joining," Duncan suddenly speaks, a silver chalice in his hands. It would appear we are finally ready. I can feel a speech coming on.

"The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint." See, I knew it.

"We're... going to drink the blood of those... those creatures?" Jory sounds very unhappy, scared even.

"As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you. _This_ is the source of our power and our victory," Duncan explains. "Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint."

Damn, I knew it was dangerous, but potentially _fatal_? I don't like that much. The other words Duncan speaks fail to register in my mind. This could kill me, or even all three of us? I had no idea. Kind of crappy if the last thing I get to taste before death is darkspawn blood.

I catch Daveth staring at me. I stare right back. He looks as shocked as I probably do, his eyes full of fear. I feel sorry for him. Actually, I feel sorry for all of us.

"Daveth, step forward," Duncan says solemnly, presenting the chalice to him. Oh dear, it would seem my favourite thief (not a difficult to obtain position since he's the only one I know) is up first. His eyes shift to Duncan and then back to me.

"Just a moment," he says, a quiver in his voice. He closes the distance between us with one giant step, takes me in his arms and kisses me, all in a matter of seconds. His lips are burning against mine, igniting a fire under my skin. His tongue is frantically wriggling against my lips to gain access to my mouth. The urge to have my way with him is back with a vengeance. Screw this; we could be dead by the end of today. I open my mouth and his tongue slips in, fiercely playing with mine. I can't help but moan; I'm getting so wet I'll start leaving puddles soon. Sadly he lets go of me after a while.

"Damn you." I sink my teeth into his lower lip. "You know I'll kill you if you survive your Joining, right?"

"No you won't." He smiles and strokes my cheek. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." I blow him a kiss and he pretends to catch it, stuffing it into his pocket. Cute.

"Come on Daveth, while we're still young," Alistair says, rolling his eyes.

After a last longing look in my direction, Daveth accepts the chalice with the offending beverage from Duncan. He looks at it, takes a deep breath and quickly drains it before handing it back. Well, everything seems fi… Uhoh. I don't think I've ever heard anyone scream as loud and filled with pain, swaying around in every direction. And then he goes limp and falls to the ground.

"I am sorry, Daveth," Duncan says with immense regret in his voice. Sorry? Sorry for what? Surely he's only… Oh no. Please no. Could he be…?

I sit down next to him and nudge him. "Daveth?" No response. He's as limp as a ragdoll and beginning to turn cold already. I drag him into an upward position and cradle the poor thing to my chest. Now I actually regret not sleeping with him. I mean, who knows when the last time was he had some? And he was so young too. I think. Surely too young to die, at any rate. The light is gone from his amber eyes so I close them, caress his still face. This is so unfair. And where are those drops on him coming from? Oh, I'm doing that. I didn't realize I was crying. I suppose I really care about him.

Suddenly there's a kind of death gurgle to my left. I see Jory lying in a pool of blood, presumably his own. What the… What just happened? Did the taint do that? Eh, I guess not, since Duncan is cleaning blood off his short sword. What? Why? Huh?

Well, I suppose that only leaves me now. I carefully lay the cooling body in my arms down and get up to accept the blood Duncan hands me. Ieh, it smells foul. And the taste is no better; it's like metal mixed with mud and bile. I give the chalice back to Duncan and smack my lips. Yuck. And then pain hits me. It's the worst pain I've ever felt, dulling all my other senses. A loud scream is ringing in my ears. It has to be me, although it doesn't feel so. Everything goes black.

Oh wow, I think I just saw my brain. It's not pretty. I think I'll just… pass out now. Yeah.

A dragon. While I was passed out, I saw a dragon. A big, mean, black dragon. Could this be the archdemon? And more darkspawn I'd ever wish to see. Maybe I should open my eyes. It's still dark out, so I haven't been out for long. Duncan and Alistair are staring down on me, their faces grave.

"It is finished. Welcome," the former says. I guess I'm a real Grey Warden now. Uhm, yippee?

* * *

_Finally, the ritual is over and done with. Anyone interested in Part 3, the most exciting village of Lothering? _


End file.
